Five Keys to Answered Prayers. Pleasant Words. Are Hot Dogs Cancerous?

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Five Keys to Answered Prayers

“Have you ever asked, “Why won’t God answer my prayer?” Does God answer prayers? How can you pray to God and get answers? Here are five keys to answered prayer.

If you are like me, you probably relate to King David’s poignant prayer:

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray” (Psalm 5:1-2).

David was fervently asking God to listen to and answer his prayers.

The Bible shows that God deeply cares for us, and He wants us to pray to Him. But how can we know that God hears our prayers? Does the Bible reveal keys to praying so God will hear and answer us?

Thankfully, God answers those questions for us in His Word. The Bible reveals five keys to answered prayers.

The five keys to answered prayer are:

1. Ask God in prayer.

2. Have faith in God.

3. Seek God’s will.

4. Strive to obey God.

5. Pray in Jesus’ name.

First key to answered prayer: Ask God in prayer

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (emphasis added throughout). This is a very basic starting point. However, it is one that too often is misunderstood or not used.

A young man told me once that he hadn’t prayed in two years. I stressed to him the importance of prayer. His reply was, “But doesn’t the Bible say God knows what we need before we ask?” He was referring to Christ’s words in Matthew 6:8. Does this scripture mean we don’t need to actually pray to God and ask Him to intervene in our lives?

Yes, our Father does know what we need before we ask, but by asking we show our Father that we see the need for His help and intervention, and really want His help. Asking shows Him how important the need is to us. God wants us to have a relationship with Him, and a relationship is built through communication. He wants us to openly communicate our needs to Him.

Luke’s account of Jesus’ words adds an important truth, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find. … For everyone who asks receives. … If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? … If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:9-13).

One of our greatest needs is for the power of God’s Holy Spirit. We need God’s Spirit to learn to worship, serve and understand God’s truth and ways (John 4:24). God says He will give His Spirit to those who ask Him. We need to be asking for help and power from God (which He gives through His Spirit) on a daily basis.

That’s just one thing we should ask God for. God also wants us to take other needs and desires to Him in prayer. 

Second key to answered prayer: Have faith in God

Having faith―truly believing God is God and will indeed hear and answer―is an essential key to receiving answers to our prayers. The apostle James explained in James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. … But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Faith is founded on God’s promises. When God has given a promise, we can rely on the fact that God will always do what He has promised.

This was Abraham’s example when God told him he would have a son in his old age. “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21).

Jesus spoke clearly about faith and prayer in Mark 11:22-24: “Have faith in God. … Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

If we truly want God to answer our prayers, we must have a deep faith in God’s existence, His promises, His love and His unlimited power to answer our prayers.

Asking in faith is an essential key to answered prayers.

Third key to answered prayer: Seek God’s will

The apostle John wrote, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).

God does promise to answer our prayers—but “according to His will.”

It’s important to understand that God doesn’t promise to answer every prayer in exactly the way we ask Him to. For instance, if we ask God for things to spend on our own selfish pleasures, we may not receive them (James 4:3). It’s outside of God’s will for us to be selfish and covetous.

Someone exclaimed to me once, “Oh, if we only knew God’s will!”

But God’s will is not some mystical, unknowable thing. God reveals His general will to us in the pages of the Bible. The Bible reveals God’s laws, which explain the guidelines for how He wants us to live. It is God’s will for us to live as He designed life to be lived to produce happiness. It is God’s will for us to understand the truths of the purpose of life and what He is doing when He gives us access to that knowledge. It is God’s will for us to claim the many promises He has given us in His Bible.

What are some of His promises―things it is His will for us to claim?

The sample prayer―often called the Lord’s prayer―gives a number of examples (Matthew 6:9-13):

• Give us this day our daily bread (provide our needs).
• Forgive us our debts (sins).
• Do not lead us into temptation (help us be alert to avoid situations that lead to sin).
• Deliver us from the evil one (help us overcome Satan’s influences in our lives).

Other promises include:

• Wisdom (James 1:5).
• Healing (James 5:14).
• All things working out for good “to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

There are many more promises in the Bible. It is God’s will for us to claim these. So if we come to Him asking anything that is according to His will, He hears us.

However, this is not to say that He immediately answers yes to everything that is His will.

God answers prayers in three different ways:

• “Yes.” An example of this kind of answer can be found in the life of King Hezekiah. He was sick and near death and asked God to heal him. God mercifully answered Hezekiah’s prayer and granted him an extra 15 years to live (2 Kings 20:1-6). Another example of an answered prayer like this is found in the life of Hannah. She was not able to have a child, but fervently prayed to God for a son (1 Samuel 1:11). God answered her prayer, and she gave birth to Samuel—who went on to become one of God’s prophets.
• “Yes, but not yet.” An example of this answer can be found in the Israelites’ experience in Egypt. After years in bondage, the children of Israel “cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage” (Exodus 2:23). We are told God “heard their groaning” (verse 24). He did answer and deliver them, but not immediately. It was still a while before God answered their cry and led them out of bondage through the leadership of Moses.
• “No, but I have something better in store for you.” An example of this kind of answer can be found in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. In the letter he described a physical ailment that he suffered from. He described praying to God “three times that it might depart from me” (2 Corinthians 12:8). But God did not answer the prayer by healing the ailment. Instead, God was using the problem to teach Paul humility and reliance on Him (verses 7, 9). So in this situation, God did answer the prayer. His answer was “no, but I have something better in store for you”—spiritual character growth leading to a wonderful eternity in the family of God.

These examples can give us encouragement that even if we don’t immediately receive the answer we want, we can have faith that God still hears us and may provide His answer at a future time or by giving us an even better blessing than what we asked for.

To learn more about God’s timing in answering our prayers, read “God’s Timing Is Perfect.”

Fourth key to answered prayer: Strive to obey God

Obedience is a fundamentally important key for receiving answers to our prayers. The apostle John wrote, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).Obedience is a fundamentally important key for receiving answers to our prayers. The apostle John wrote, “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

Psalm 34:15 records, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” The commandments of God define righteousness (Psalm 119:172). Godly righteousness is doing what is right in God’s sight, or, as John wrote, doing “those things that are pleasing in His sight.”

God wants us to obey Him. He gave us His commandments and laws to instruct us in the principles of living that will produce the happiness we all want. God loves us and only wants us to reap good fruit in our lives. God wants us to love Him.

As Jesus said, the great commandment in the law is, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

We show love for God by obeying Him. The apostle John explained this in 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” To learn more about God’s love, read about the “Love of God.”

There are many scriptures that show God doesn’t hear the prayers of the wicked (people living in willful sin against Him), but He hears the prayers of those who strive to obey Him:

• Proverbs 15:29: “The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”
• Proverbs 28:9: “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”
• Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
• John 9:31: “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.”
• 1 Peter 3:12: “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

If we have not been living our lives in a way pleasing to God, we cannot come “boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) expecting to receive what we ask unless we truly repent―commit to changing from the way of sin to the way of obedience.

Fifth key to answered prayer: Pray in Jesus’ name

Jesus said several times that we should make our requests―ask―in His name (John 14:13-14; 15:16). So Christians conclude their prayers “in the name of Jesus Christ” or “in Jesus’ name.” What does it mean to end our prayers with “in Jesus’ name”?

The phrase “in the name of the LORD” is used 44 times in the Bible. It was used to express that something was being done by the authority of God.

In England when someone came in the name of the king, he came with the king’s support and authority, having that privilege conferred upon him by the king himself. No one could take this privilege to himself. Favor, rights and privilege also generally accompanied the one who came in the name of the king.

So, likewise, when we close a prayer to our Father with the words “in the name of Jesus we pray,” we are exercising a privilege we have been granted by our Savior and doing what Jesus commanded us to do.

The night that Jesus died as the perfect sacrificial lamb―sacrificed for our sins―He taught His disciples many truths. He told them, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. … In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God” (John 16:24-27).

To learn more about Jesus’ teachings on prayer, read “Do You Pray the Way Jesus Taught?”

Jesus wants us to come before the Father in His name. The Father deeply loves His firstborn Son. He also deeply loves us. When we come in Jesus’ name, we are obeying Jesus’ will and showing that we want to have the same relationship with our Father that He has.

We are also respecting and recognizing Jesus’ role as the “Mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5). Christians under the New Covenant approach the Father through Jesus Christ, who is “the Mediator of the new covenant” (Hebrews 9:15; see also Hebrews 8:6; 12:24).

We all want to know that God hears us when we pray. We can be assured that He does if we come before Him using these keys. But there’s still much more to learn about prayer. For more about prayer, download our article reprint series How to Pray.

For more about prayer, see also the other articles in this section “How to Pray.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/prayer-fasting-and-meditation/how-to-pray/five-keys-to-answered-prayers/

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Pleasant Words

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Many proverbs describe the power of our words for good and for ill. This verse highlights the good effects our words can have if we choose them carefully in order to benefit others.

“The Israelites saw honey as a healthy food as well as a sweetener. Any comparison to it would connote positive, healthful effects” (Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible, note on Proverbs 16:24).

For more about our words, see the section on “The Joys and Challenges of Communication.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/pleasant-words/?

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Are Hot Dogs Cancerous?

“Among American favorites is the Hot Dog - a fourth of July staple that's eaten at least once a week in most households. Many Americans are so used to eating a certain way that they don't realize that they're making unhealthy choices and that those choices are affecting their kids.

However, a USC epidemiologist found that children who eat more than 12 hot dogs per month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia. And that's not all, in another study, children who ate hot dogs one or more times per week were also at higher risk of brain cancer.

The study examined the relationship between the intake of certain foods and the risk of leukemia in children from birth to age 10 in Los Angeles County between 1980 and 1987. It also concluded that there was a strong risk for childhood leukemia for children whose fathers' intake of hot dogs was 12 or more per month before conception. This demonstrated in part that the dietary habits of parents before their child is born, as well as during pregnancy, can leave them more prone to disease.

In fact, researchers Sarusua and Savitz, who studied childhood cancer cases in Denver, found that children born to mothers who consumed hot dogs one or more times per week during pregnancy had approximately double the risk of developing brain tumors. It's been suggested that the nitrates contained in hot dogs are the cause of these health problems.

"Processed red meat commonly contains sodium, nitrates, phosphates, and other food additives, and smoked and grilled meats also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, all of which may contribute to the increased heart failure risk," explains Alicja Wolk, D.M.Sc.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, these nitrates act as preservatives to prevent food from spoiling, and they also add color to the meat. Nitrites and nitrates are not cancer-causing by themselves, but in certain conditions in the body, they can be changed into by-products called N-nitroso compounds, such as nitrosamines and nitrosamides. N-nitroso compounds are associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Vitamin C may be added to some preserved meats. Vitamin C keeps nitrites from changing into nitrosamines, which may help reduce the risk of cancer associated with these chemicals. However, new cases of nitrate-caused cancers still appear at an alarming rate each year.”  From: https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/22346/20190604/are-hot-dogs-cancerous.htm

Note:  Most hot-dogs contain pork, which God considers an unclean meat in Lev. 11:4 because pigs are scavengers, and eat toxins, even dead things. 

“However, pigs are special in that their digestive systems metabolize food very quickly in one stomach. The process only takes roughly 4 hours. Compare this with a cow which takes 24 hours to digest the food it has eaten. This longer time period further allows excess toxins to be removed during the digestive process. Toxins are not allotted the time needed to be removed from a pig’s digestive tract. As a result, the harmful toxins are accumulated in fat cells and the pig’s organs.”  From: https://naturallivingfamily.com/why-is-pork-bad-for-you/

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The Holy Days They Changed But Couldn’t Kill. Paul Preaches to Jews and Greeks. Foods That Fight Inflammation.

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The Holy Days They Changed but Couldn’t Kill

“Jesus and the early Church did things that would seem odd today. How—and why—did people stop celebrating the holy days Jesus did? What should you do about it?

If you belong to a typical mainstream church today and could somehow be transported back nearly 2,000 years to the time of the New Testament Church, wouldn’t that be exciting?

A chasm between Christianity today and the early Church

Actually, you might find it rather disturbing! If you talked with anyone then about your religious doctrines and practices of today, they would quickly characterize you as a heretic! You would be lost, confused, out of place and considered, well … odd!

On the other hand, if members of the early Church could be resurrected and placed into a conventional church today, they, too, would find it completely foreign. That’s because the practices of Christianity today have virtually nothing in common with those of Jesus and the Church He founded.

Continuing your imaginary trip back to the first century, the people of the New Testament Church would be perplexed if you brought up the Trinity, immortal soul, rapture, baptizing infants or baptizing by sprinkling, going to heaven or hell when you die, or a myriad of other doctrines commonly accepted today.

And perhaps your first surprise would be when you showed up on Sunday to worship with them—no one would be there! Easter services—what are you talking about?

Why would the Church of the first century seem so bizarre? It’s because the core teachings of Jesus and the apostles were systematically dismantled and replaced over time with other ideas.

Deception in the Church? Why?

Jesus knew that His adversaries would first kill Him, and then others would follow trying to obliterate or reinterpret His teachings and practices.

In Matthew 24 He spared no words, warning, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (verses 4-5) and, “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (verse 11).

It didn’t take long.

The early Church fights heresy

A common theme in Paul’s, Peter’s, John’s and Jude’s writings is their fight against the heretical changes assailing the early Church. Ironically, in some instances they found their own words were being distorted by these deceivers!

Note Peter’s stunning statement about Paul’s epistles: “Speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16).

Paul wouldn’t recognize the teachings and practices of most churches today, and it’s easy to think he’d be appalled to see how his words have been twisted to justify many of today’s doctrines. But then again, maybe he wouldn’t be surprised.

After all, he’d seen it already. He wrote the Galatians: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7).

Jude faced the same battle. He found it “necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

How the faith slipped away

History is clear on how the faith once delivered was quickly slipping away. Less than a hundred years after Christ, Bishop Sixtus of Rome pushed the Church to rid itself of “Jewish” customs and substitute new ones.

Bishop Victor of Rome sparked a huge controversy by pressing the Church to switch from observing the Passover to Easter Sunday. Victor's agenda eventually prevailed as the Council of Nicaea settled the issue in A.D. 325.  On his heels Bishop Victor of Rome sparked a huge controversy by pressing the Church to switch from observing the Passover (to commemorate Christ’s death) to Easter Sunday (to commemorate His resurrection). He ran into a strong opponent in Polycrates of Ephesus.

The historian Eusebius cites Polycrates’ brave defense in which he lists many names of people faithful to Christ’s teachings.

“All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith,” he wrote. “And I also, Polycrates … and my relatives always observed the day when the people put away the leaven [the biblical Feast of Unleavened Bread]. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have said ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’”

Victor’s agenda eventually prevailed as the Council of Nicaea settled the issue in A.D. 325.

Behind the scenes: anti-Semitism and rejection of Passover

But why would anyone even be interested in fomenting upset by forcing such doctrinal change in Church practice? Here’s where it gets ugly. Something far more sinister than just new doctrinal ideas was working behind the scenes.

Another driving force had begun heavily influencing people: anti-Semitism. Of course, Jesus was a Jew, as were the apostles! They never thought of the Passover and other biblical holy days as Jewish—they were God’s! But anything related to what some viewed as Jewish would now be targeted.

Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, brought his hatred of anything Jewish with him, as he revealed in his letter to the delegates at Nicaea:

“It was decreed unworthy to observe that most sacred festival [Passover] in accordance with the practice of the Jews; having sullied their own hands with a heinous crime, such bloodstained men are as one might expect mentally blind. … Let there be nothing in common between you and the detestable mob of Jews! We have received from the Saviour another way. … Let us with one accord take up this course … and so tear ourselves away from that disgusting complicity. For it is surely quite grotesque for them to be able to boast that we would be incapable of keeping these observances without their instruction” (Eusebius, Life of Constantine, 3.18.2-3).

Constantine was wrong. They had not “received from our Saviour another way.” Paul had written in detail about the observance and meaning of the Passover, stating, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” (1 Corinthians 11:23). But these church leaders preferred to receive their direction from a Roman emperor rather than a New Testament apostle, and thus institutionalized Easter as “Christian” and marginalized Passover as “Jewish.”

Anti-Semitism and the change of the Sabbath

The Sabbath suffered a similar fate, from a similar motive, as church leaders changed to Sunday observance.

Out of the Council of Laodicea in A.D. 365 came Canon 29, stating: “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord’s Day, and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema [accursed] from Christ.”

Really? To worship on the same days Jesus did would now make you accursed?

This raises a troubling question: Does doctrinal change of any kind, but especially that of fundamental belief and practice, have any legitimacy when it has been dictated by anti-Semitism?

It is true that certain Jews were a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire, and certain religious factions of the Jews were persecuting Christians (thousands of whom, it should be noted, were Jews!). But if we allow our animosity toward some group to influence our integrity with interpreting the Scriptures, that puts us in conflict with God!

The Lord of the Sabbath and the feasts of the LORD

The Sabbath was not the Jews’—it was God’s! Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man [not just the Jews], and not man for the Sabbath.” Furthermore, He “is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28).

And centuries earlier, when God gave Israel His holy days, He said: “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:2, emphasis added throughout). These are the same feasts we find from both history and the Bible that the New Testament Church kept. They were never “Jewish feasts” or the “Jewish Sabbath”—they were, and are, God’s!

So when did He legitimize changing His holy days? Is it okay with Him if humans discard the Fourth Commandment, substituting Sunday for the Sabbath that He created, sanctified and hallowed? Does He care if we trade His holy days and adopt others from non-Christian religions?

History shows that as the years passed there were always small groups of people who said, “Yes, it matters!” Their numbers were small, especially in the face of sometimes horrific persecution, but they steadfastly held to the biblical doctrines and practices of Christ and the New Testament Church. Some even gave their lives, displaying a courage of conviction that would not allow them to compromise the truth.

They recognized when doctrinal changes were unbiblical and when the motives behind them were wrong.

Daniel Augsburger, a professor of historical theology at Andrews University, wrote this in The Sabbath in Scripture and History: “But also, all throughout that period there were groups of people who, either through the example of the Jews or because of their study of the Scriptures, attempted to keep the day that Jesus and the apostles had kept. For obvious reasons we know little about their number or their names, but their presence shows that in every age there were some who attempted to place the Word of God above the traditions of men” (1982, p. 210).

Who has the authority to change biblical doctrine?

All religious practices derive their authority from somewhere. Who molded and shaped what you believe today? If it differs from what the Bible says and what the New Testament Church practiced, does anyone have the authority to make such changes?

Most people just accept what they have been taught. Some try to read meaning into Scripture that justifies their doctrinal position. Others are more honest with history and admit they just changed things.

Thomas Aquinas, for example, one of history’s most influential theologians, wrote, “In the New Law the observance of the Lord’s day took the place of the observance of the Sabbath, not by virtue of the precept but by the institution of the Church and the custom of Christian people.”

The Catholic Virginian offered this admission: “All of us believe many things in regard to religion that we do not find in the Bible. For example, nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the Apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is the 7th day of the week, Saturday. Today most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the Church outside the Bible.”

It’s refreshingly honest, but honesty still doesn’t substitute for godly authority.

Today Easter is the holiest time of the year for Christianity, but most worshippers are unaware that their only authority for that day and doctrine is the word of men, not God. Jesus and His apostles’ warnings came true—men did “rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves,” as Paul told the elders at Ephesus (Acts 20:30).

Some of them changed the days Jesus and the Church kept, but they couldn’t fully eradicate them.

Do these changes to God’s holy days matter?

So, does it matter? It comes down to this: Can we claim to worship the Savior who gave His life for us if we follow those who tried to kill His doctrines and practices?

The apostle John said it well: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). And, “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” (2 John 1:6).”      From:https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/days-they-changed/

“For more on God’s festivals and their meaning to Christians today, watch our video series “Feasts of the Lord.” This series of 10 short videos explores God’s plan and what it means for you.”

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Paul Preaches Every Sabbath to Jews and Greeks

Acts 18:4

“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.”

“Paul’s preaching in Athens appears to not have borne much fruit (Acts 17:32-34), but when he came to Corinth, God let him know “I have many people in this city” (Acts 18:10).

Paul worked during the week as a tentmaker alongside Aquila, but every Sabbath he preached and persuaded both those of Jewish background and those who weren’t Jewish (the Greeks or gentiles).

The Bible consistently shows Paul and the other apostles and the New Testament Church continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath as their day of worship. For more on this, see our article “Did Paul Change the Sabbath Command?””               From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/paul-preaches-every-sabbath-to-jews-and-greeks/?

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Foods that fight inflammation

“Doctors are learning that one of the best ways to reduce inflammation lies not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator.  By following an anti-inflammatory diet you can fight off inflammation for good.

What does an anti-inflammatory diet do? Your immune system becomes activated when your body recognizes anything that is foreign—such as an invading microbe, plant pollen, or chemical. This often triggers a process called inflammation. Intermittent bouts of inflammation directed at truly threatening invaders protect your health.

However, sometimes inflammation persists, day in and day out, even when you are not threatened by a foreign invader. That's when inflammation can become your enemy. Many major diseases that plague us—including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer's—have been linked to chronic inflammation.

One of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from the pharmacy, but from the grocery store. "Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.

Science has proven that chronic, low-grade inflammation can turn into a silent killer that contributes to cardiovas­cular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other conditions. Get simple tips to fight inflammation and stay healthy -- from Harvard Medical School experts.

View Protect yourself from the damage of chronic inflammation.

Choose the right anti-inflammatory foods, and you may be able to reduce your risk of illness. Consistently pick the wrong ones, and you could accelerate the inflammatory disease process.

Foods that cause inflammation

Try to avoid or limit these foods as much as possible:

• refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pastries

• French fries and other fried foods

• soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages

• red meat (burgers, steaks) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)

• margarine, shortening, and lard

The health risks of inflammatory foods

Not surprisingly, the same foods on an inflammation diet are generally considered bad for our health, including sodas and refined carbohydrates, as well as red meat and processed meats.

"Some of the foods that have been associated with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also associated with excess inflammation," Dr. Hu says. "It's not surprising, since inflammation is an important underlying mechanism for the development of these diseases."

Unhealthy foods also contribute to weight gain, which is itself a risk factor for inflammation. Yet in several studies, even after researchers took obesity into account, the link between foods and inflammation remained, which suggests weight gain isn't the sole driver. "Some of the food components or ingredients may have independent effects on inflammation over and above increased caloric intake," Dr. Hu says.

Anti-inflammatory foods

An anti-inflammatory diet should include these foods:

• tomatoes

• olive oil, avocado oil

• green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards

• nuts like almonds and walnuts

• fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines

• fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges”

More at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

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10 Commandments in the New Testament? Paul Preaches to Gentiles on the Sabbath. What Causes Cancer to Metastasize?

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Are the 10 Commandments Upheld in the New Testament?

“Were God’s 10 Commandments abolished in the New Testament? Or does the New Testament continue to teach and uphold all 10 Commandments?

No, many scriptures in the New Testament show that Jesus and the apostles upheld the 10 Commandments, not as “ceremonial legalism” or as a way to “earn” salvation, but as essential laws to govern a Christian’s life. Many scriptures show that every one of the 10 Commandments is reinforced in the New Testament.

Most people acknowledge that Christians should obey most of the 10 Commandments, including those that prohibit worshipping other gods, murder, stealing, adultery and lying—just to name a few of the instructions spoken by God to the ancient Israelites from Mount Sinai. It is only the Fourth Commandment to keep the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11) that some claim is not repeated in the New Testament and therefore is no longer required of Christians.

Are all of the 10 Commandments upheld in the New Testament?

The answer is yes, most definitely. To prove this, consider what Jesus Christ taught concerning the commandments and see the following chart showing where each of the 10 Commandments is addressed in the New Testament.

What Jesus Christ taught concerning the 10 Commandments in the New Testament

Jesus Christ consistently upheld the 10 Commandments as given in the Old Testament. In His Sermon on the Mount, He very pointedly stated: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

Although some mistakenly think that “fulfill” in this passage means to complete and therefore abolish, what Jesus said afterwards shows this could not be the case.

Continuing, Jesus said: “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (verses 18-19).

On another occasion, a man came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17).

Responding, Jesus said, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother’” (verse 19).

The point Jesus was making was that it should have been obvious to the man that he needed to keep the 10 Commandments. Jesus named enough of them to make it clear that this was the body of law this man needed to observe.

At the same time Jesus was also making the point that this young man wasn’t obeying the commandments as fully as he thought he was. He was guilty of covetousness (prohibited by the 10th Commandment), since he was unwilling to sell all that he had and commit himself to following Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ instruction to obey the 10 Commandments continues to apply to us today.

Jesus summarized the 10 Commandments into two great commandments. The first and great commandment is, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

“And,” Jesus said, “the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (verse 39).

Love of God is the underlying reason we are to keep the 10 Commandments. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Noting the same concept, the apostle John later wrote: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

What the apostle Paul taught about the 10 Commandments in the New Testament

Realizing that Jesus consistently upheld all of the commandments, including observing the seventh-day Sabbath (Matthew 19:17-19; Luke 4:16), some wrongly suggest that it was the apostle Paul, with Jesus’ personal approval, who introduced grace and the abolishment of the law.

This misguided idea that Paul taught against keeping the 10 Commandments is clearly refuted by the apostle himself.

“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good,” said Paul (Romans 7:12). And as for grace, he wrote: “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2).

The 10 Commandments given by God in the Old Testament continue to be God’s expectations of Christians today. The truth is that Jesus did not change His mind about the importance of keeping all of the 10 Commandments. As Hebrews 13:8 states: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The 10 Commandments in the last book of the New Testament

Toward the end of the first century—some 60 years after His death and resurrection—Jesus revealed end-time instructions through John in the book of Revelation. In this book He identifies faithful members of His Church as those “who keep the commandments of God” (Revelation 12:17).

Some of the final words of the Bible and this revelation of Jesus Christ likewise state: “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).

The 10 Commandments given by God in the Old Testament continue to be God’s expectations of Christians today.

The 10 Commandments in the New Testament

First Commandment: Jesus affirmed that we are to worship only God (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8).

Second Commandment: James and Paul confirmed that we are not to worship idols (Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Third Commandment: Jesus repeated that we should not use God’s name in a vain manner (Matthew 5:33-37).

Fourth Commandment: Jesus set the example for us of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath (Luke 4:16), as did the apostle Paul (Acts 17:2). After Jesus’ death, the author of the book of Hebrews confirmed that worshipping on this day continues to be expected of Christians (Hebrews 4:9).

Fifth Commandment: Jesus taught that the commandment to honor our father and mother still applies (Matthew 15:4).

Sixth Commandment: Jesus confirmed that the command not to murder is still in force (Matthew 19:18).

Seventh Commandment: Jesus likewise taught that the command not to commit adultery still applies (Matthew 19:18).

Eighth Commandment: Jesus taught that the commandment not to steal continues to apply (Matthew 19:18).

Ninth Commandment: Jesus listed the prohibition against lying as continuing to be in force (Matthew 19:18).

10th Commandment: Jesus and Paul taught that Christians should not covet (Luke 12:15; Romans 7:7).

The 10 Commandments in the Old and New Testaments

The following chart identifies references to the 10 Commandments in both the Old and New Testaments.

Old Testament
New Testament

First
Commandment
Exodus 20:3;
Deuteronomy 5:7
Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8; Revelation 14:7

Second
Commandment
Exodus 20:4-6;
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
John 4:23; Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-20; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5

Third
Commandment
Exodus 20:7;
Deuteronomy 5:11
Matthew 5:33-37; 1 Timothy 6:1; James 2:7; 5:12

Fourth
Commandment
Exodus 20:8-11;
Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Luke 4:16; 23:55-56; Acts 17:1-2; 18:4; Hebrews 4:9; 1 John 2:6

Fifth
Commandment
Exodus 20:12;
Deuteronomy 5:16
Matthew 15:4-9; 19:19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 1:29-30; Ephesians 6:1-3

Sixth
Commandment
Exodus 20:13;
Deuteronomy 5:17
Matthew 5:21-22; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 1:29-30; 13:9

Seventh
Commandment
Exodus 20:14;
Deuteronomy 5:18
Matthew 5:27-28; 19:18; Mark 10:11-12, 19; Luke 16:18; 18:20; Romans 7:2-3; 13:9

Eighth
Commandment
Exodus 20:15;
Deuteronomy 5:19
Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 13:9; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Peter 4:15; Revelation 9:21

Ninth
Commandment
Exodus 20:16;
Deuteronomy 5:20
Matthew 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 13:9; Ephesians 4:25

10th
Commandment
Exodus 20:17;
Deuteronomy 5:21
Luke 12:15; Romans 1:29; 7:7; 13:9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3, 5

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/the-ten-commandments/10-commandments-new-testament/?

For further study, read the articles in this section: “The 10 Commandments and God's Way of Life.”

You’ll also want to see our helpful video series “The 10 Commandments: A Matter of the Heart.” 

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Paul Preaches to Gentiles on the Sabbath

Acts 13:42-44

“So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

Many believe that the apostle Paul taught that those who were not Israelites do not have to observe the Sabbath commandment. But the Bible consistently shows that Paul taught both Jews and gentiles (non-Israelites) on God’s Sabbath.

Here is how one of our articles addresses this passage:

“When gentiles in Antioch wanted to hear God’s Word preached to them, Paul had them come the next Sabbath ... (Acts 13:42-44). Had Sabbath-keeping no longer been God’s expectation of gentiles, Paul could have simply told them that he would preach to them the next day rather than the next Sabbath.”

For more on this, see “Did Paul Change the Sabbath Command?”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/paul-preaches-to-gentiles-on-the-sabbath/?

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What Causes Cancer to Metastasize?

Palmitic acid, a saturated fat concentrated in meat and dairy, can boost the metastatic potential of cancer cells through the fat receptor CD36.

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-cancer-to-metastasize/

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

Intro: This is the first in a three-part series on cancer metastasis. In this series, I’ll look at what dietary components contribute to the spread of cancer, and what dietary interventions—and even specific foods—can lessen the risk of spread, therefore increasing the chances of survival. Let’s go find out.

“Metastasis formation is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. That’s how most people die of cancer. It’s not the primary tumor, but the cancer spreading through the body. “[It’s] estimated that metastasis is responsible for [90 percent] of cancer deaths”, with little progress made in stopping the spread despite our modern medical armamentarium. In fact, we can sometimes make it worse: Therapy-Induced Metastasis.

All the typical cancer treatments, radiation, chemotherapy, surgery—even just poking the tumors with fine needle biopsies—have the potential to contribute to the problem. I mean, you can imagine how cutting around a tumor, severing the blood vessels, might lead to the migration of residual tumor cells. But why chemotherapy? How might chemo exacerbate metastases? Despite reducing the size of primary tumors, chemotherapy can change the surrounding tissues, resulting in an increased escape of cancer cells into the blood stream. Sometimes chemo/surgery/radiation are entirely justified, but sometimes these treatments can make things worse. If only we had a way to treat the cause of the cancer spreading.

The development of antimetastatic therapies has been hampered by the fact that we haven’t been able to identity the cells that initiate metastasis.  But then, this landmark study was published. Researchers found a subpopulation of human cancer cells “unique in their ability to initiate metastasis”, all expressing high levels of a fat receptor known as CD36, dubbed “the fat controller.”

It turns out palmitic acid or a high-fat diet specifically boosts the metastatic potential of these cancer cells. Where do you find palmitic acid? Although originally discovered in palm oil, it’s most concentrated in meat and dairy. “Emerging evidence shows that palmitic acid . . . serves as a signaling molecule regulating the progression and development of many diseases at the molecular level”––and that’s the saturated fat that is recognized by the CD36 receptor on the cancer cells. And we know that’s to blame, because if you block the CD36 receptor, you block the metastases.

Now this was for a human cancer; however, it was a human cancer implanted into mice, but clinically (meaning in cancer patients), the presence of these CD36-studded metastasis-initiating cells does indeed correlate with a poor prognosis. For example, CD36 appears to drive the progression of brain tumors. If you look at the survival curves, those with tumors with less CD36 expression lived significantly longer. The same with breast cancer mortality. No surprise, since “CD36 [appears to play] a critical role in [the] proliferation, migration, and…growth of…breast cancer cells.” Inhibit CD36, and you can inhibit “the migration and invasion of the breast cancer cells.” Cancer cell migration and invasion before and after CD36 inhibition.

And not just in “human melanoma- and breast cancer-derived tumors.” Now we suspect that “…CD36…drives ovarian cancer progression and metastasis” too, since we can inhibit ovarian cancer cell invasion and migration and block both lymph node and blood-borne metastasis by blocking CD36. We see the same kind of effect with prostate cancer. Suppress the uptake of fat by prostate cancer cells, and you can suppress the tumor. This was all studied with receptor-blocking drugs and antibodies in a laboratory setting, though. If these metastasis-initiating cancer cells particularly rely on dietary fat to promote the spread of cancer, why not just block the dietary fat in the first place?

Cancer cells love fat and cholesterol. The reason why fat metabolism may fuel cancer’s spread is because there is so much energy stored in fat. “Hence, … metastatic cells might take advantage of this feature to obtain the high amount of energy that is likely to be required for them to anchor and [set up shop throughout the body].”

“The time when sugar was considered as the major, if not only, fuel to support cancer cell proliferation is over.” There appears to be “a fatter way to metastasize”. No wonder “…high-fat [diets may] …play a crucial role in increasing the risk of different cancer types, …[including] several advanced cancers.” Okay, if dietary fat may be “greasing the wheels of the cancer machine,” might there be specific dietary regimens we could use to starve cancers of dietary fat? You don’t know until you put it to the test, which we’ll cover next.” 

Check out the How Not to Die from Cancer video I mentioned.

I’ve produced scores of videos on cancer, and here are some of my more recent ones:

• What Causes Cancer to Metastasize?
• How to Help Control Cancer Metastasis with Diet
• The Food That Can Downregulate a Metastatic Cancer Gene
• Fighting the Ten Hallmarks of Cancer with Food
• How Effective Is Chemotherapy?
• How Much Does Chemotherapy Improve Survival?

From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-causes-cancer-to-metastasize/

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Good Friday + Easter Sunday, It Doesn’t Add Up! Did Jesus Christ Teach Easter? How to Reduce Cholesterol Oxidation.

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Good Friday + Easter Sunday, It Doesn’t Add Up!

“How can we fit three days and three nights between a Friday afternoon crucifixion and an Easter Sunday sunrise? The fact is, we can’t. So what is the truth about when Jesus was crucified and resurrected?

UCG.org

The Biblical Chronology of Jesus Christ’s Burial and Resurrection

About one billion Protestants and another billion Catholics believe that Jesus Christ was crucified and entombed on a Friday afternoon—“Good Friday”—and raised to life again at daybreak on Easter Sunday morning, a day and a half later.

Yet when we compare this to what Jesus Himself said about how long He would be in the tomb, we find a major contradiction. How long did Jesus say He would be in the grave? “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40, emphasis added throughout).

The context in which Jesus Christ said these words is important. The scribes and Pharisees were demanding a miraculous sign from Him to prove that He was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. “But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah’” (verse 39).

This was the only specific sign Jesus gave that He was the promised Messiah: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Traditional timing doesn’t add up

The Gospels are clear that Jesus died and His body was hurriedly placed in the tomb late in the afternoon, just before sundown marking the beginning of a Sabbath (John 19:30-42).

By the traditional “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” timing, from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is one night and one day. Saturday night to Sunday daybreak is another night, giving us a total of two nights and one day. So where do we get another night and two days to equal the three days and three nights Jesus said He would be in the tomb?

This is definitely a problem. Most theologians and religious scholars try to work around it by arguing that any part of a day or night counts as a day or night. Thus, they say, the final few minutes of that Friday afternoon were the first day, all day Saturday was the second day, and the first few minutes of Sunday morning were the third day.

Sounds reasonable, some conclude.

The trouble is, it just doesn’t work. That only adds up to three days and two nights, not three days and three nights.

Also, John 20:1 tells us that “on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.”

Did you catch the problem here? John tells us it was still dark when Mary went to the tomb on Sunday morning and found it empty. Jesus was already resurrected well before daybreak. Thus He wasn’t in the tomb any of the daylight portion of Sunday, so none of that can be counted as a day!

That leaves us with, at most, part of a day on Friday, all of Friday night, a whole daylight portion on Saturday, and most of Saturday night. That totals one full day and part of another, and one full night and most of another—still at least a full day and a full night short of the time Jesus said He would be in the tomb!

Clearly something doesn’t add up. Either Jesus misspoke about the length of time He would be in the tomb, or the “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” timing is not biblical or accurate.

Obviously both cannot be true. So which one is right?

God-given time reckoning is the key

The key to understanding the timing of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection lies in understanding God’s timetable for counting when days begin and end, as well as the timing of His biblical festivals during the spring of the year when these events took place. It’s not hard to figure out when we look closely at what the Bible says.

We first need to realize that God doesn’t begin and end days at midnight as we now do. That is a humanly devised method of counting time. Genesis 1:5 tells us quite plainly that God counts a day as beginning with the evening (the night portion) and ending at the next evening: “So the evening [nighttime] and the morning [daylight] were the first day.” God repeats this formula for the entire six days of creation.

In Leviticus 23, where God lists all of His holy Sabbaths and festivals, He makes it clear that they are to be observed “from evening to evening” (Leviticus 23:32)—in other words, from sunset to sunset, when the sun went down and evening began.

This is why Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, followers of Jesus, hurriedly placed His body in Joseph’s nearby tomb just before sundown (John 19:39-42). A Sabbath was beginning at sundown (John 19:31), when work would have to cease.

Two kinds of “Sabbaths” lead to confusion

As John tells us in John 19:31: “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies [of those crucified] should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken [to hasten death], and that they might be taken away.”

In the Jewish culture of that time, the chores of cooking and housecleaning were done on the day before a Sabbath to avoid working on God’s designated day of rest. Thus the day before the Sabbath was commonly referred to as the “preparation day.” Clearly the day on which Christ was crucified and His body placed in the tomb was the day immediately preceding a Sabbath.

The question is, which Sabbath?

Most people assume John is speaking of the regular weekly Sabbath day, observed from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. From John’s clear statement here, most people assume Jesus died and was buried on a Friday—thus the traditional belief that Jesus was crucified and died on “Good Friday.”

Most people have no idea that the Bible talks about two kinds of Sabbath days—the normal weekly Sabbath day that falls on the seventh day of the week (not to be confused with Sunday, which is the first day of the week), and seven annual Sabbath days, listed in Leviticus 23 and mentioned in various passages throughout the Bible, that could fall on any day of the week.

Because traditional Christianity long ago abandoned these biblical annual Sabbath days (as well as the weekly Sabbath), for many centuries people have failed to recognize what the Gospels plainly tell us about when Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected—and why “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” never happened that way.

Most people fail to note that John explicitly tells us that the Sabbath that began at sundown immediately after Jesus was entombed was one of these annual Sabbath days. Notice in John 19:31 his explanation that “that Sabbath was a high day” —  “high day” being a term used to differentiate the seven annual Sabbaths from the regular weekly Sabbath days.

So what was this “high day” that immediately followed Jesus Christ’s hurried entombment?

The Gospels tell us that on the evening before Jesus was condemned and crucified, He kept the Passover with His disciples (Matthew 26:19-20; Mark 14:16-17; Luke 22:13-15). This means He was crucified on the Passover day.

Leviticus 23, which lists God’s festivals, tells us that on the day after the Passover a separate festival, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, begins (Leviticus 23:5-6). The first day of this Feast is “a holy convocation” on which “no customary work” is to be done (Leviticus 23:7).

This day is the first of God’s annual Sabbaths in the year. This is the “high day” of which John wrote. Several Bible commentaries, encyclopedias and dictionaries note that John is referring to an annual Sabbath here rather than the regular weekly Sabbath day.

Passover began at sundown and ended the following day at sundown, when this annual Sabbath began. Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples, then was arrested later that night. After daybreak the next morning He was questioned before Pontius Pilate, crucified, then hurriedly entombed just before the next sunset when the “high day,” the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, began.

It should be noted that the Jews often generically referred to the whole Feast of Unleavened Bread as “Passover,” explaining why the day of Christ’s trials and crucifixion is even called “the Preparation Day of the Passover” (John 19:14)—that is, of the first Holy Day or annual Sabbath of the Passover week.

Leviticus 23 tells us the order and timing of these days, and the Gospels confirm the order of events as they unfolded.

Jesus crucified on Wednesday, not Friday

It can be shown that in the year Jesus was crucified the Passover meal must have been eaten on Tuesday night and that Wednesday sundown marked the beginning of the “high day,” the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus, then, was crucified and entombed on a Wednesday afternoon, not on Friday. Proof of this can be found in the Gospels themselves.

Let’s turn to a seldom-noticed detail in Mark 16:1: “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.”

In that time, if the body of a loved one was placed in a tomb rather than being buried directly in the ground, friends and family would commonly place aromatic spices in the tomb alongside the body to reduce the smell as the remains decayed.

Since Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb just before that high-day Sabbath began, the women had no time to buy those spices before the Sabbath. Also, they could not have purchased them on the Sabbath day, as shops were closed. Thus, Mark says, they bought the spices after the Sabbath—“when the Sabbath was past.”

But notice another revealing detail in Luke 23:55-56: “And the women who had come with [Christ] from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

Do you see a problem here? Mark clearly states that the women bought the spices after the Sabbath—“when the Sabbath was past.” Luke tells us that the women prepared the spices and fragrant oils, after which “they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

So they bought the spices after the Sabbath, and then they prepared the spices before resting on the Sabbath. This would be a clear contradiction between these two Gospel accounts—unless two Sabbaths were involved!

Indeed when we understand that two different Sabbaths are mentioned, the problem goes away.

Mark tells us that after the “high day” Sabbath, which that year must have begun Wednesday evening at sundown and ended Thursday evening at sundown, the women bought the spices to anoint Jesus’ body. Luke then tells us that the women prepared the spices—activity which would have taken place on Friday—and that afterward “they rested on the Sabbath [the normal weekly Sabbath day, observed Friday sunset to Saturday sunset] according to the commandment.”

By comparing details in both accounts along with a proper understanding of three days and three nights, we can clearly see that two different Sabbaths are mentioned along with a workday—Friday—in between. The first Sabbath was a “high day”—the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which fell on a Thursday that year. The second was the weekly seventh-day Sabbath.

The original Greek in which the Gospels were written also plainly tells us that two Sabbath days were involved in these accounts. In Matthew 28:1, where Matthew writes that the women went to the tomb “after the Sabbath,” the word Sabbath here is actually plural and should be translated “Sabbaths.” Bible versions such as Alfred Marshall’s Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Green’s Literal Translation, Young’s Literal Translation and Ferrar Fenton’s Translation make this clear.

When was Jesus resurrected?

We have seen, then, that Jesus Christ was crucified and entombed on a Wednesday, just before an annual Sabbath began—not the weekly Sabbath. So when was He resurrected?

John 20:1, as noted earlier, tells us that “on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” The sun had not yet risen—“it was still dark,” John tells us—when Mary found the tomb empty.

Obviously, then, Jesus was not resurrected at sunrise on Sunday morning. So when did that happen? The answer is plain if we simply read the Gospels—especially Jesus Christ’s own words—and accept them for what they say.

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” said Jesus (Matthew 12:40).

As we have seen, Jesus must have been entombed—placed “in the heart of the earth”—just before sundown on a Wednesday. All we have to do is count forward. One day and one night brings us to Thursday at sundown. Another day and night brings us to Friday at sundown. A third day and night brings us to Saturday at sundown.

According to Jesus Christ’s own words, He would have emerged from the grave three days and nights after He was entombed, at around the same time—near sunset. Does this fit with the Scriptures? Yes—as we have seen, He was already risen and the tomb empty when Mary arrived “while it was still dark” on Sunday morning.

While no one was around to witness His resurrection (which took place inside a sealed tomb watched over by armed guards), Jesus Christ’s own words and the details recorded in the Gospels show that it had to have happened three days and three nights after His burial, near sunset at the end of the weekly Sabbath.

Try as one might, it is impossible to fit three days and three nights between a late Friday burial and a Sunday morning resurrection. The Good Friday–Easter Sunday tradition simply isn’t true or biblical. But when we look at all the details recorded in the Gospels and compare them with Jesus’ own words, we can see the truth—and it matches perfectly.

The words of the angel of God, who so startled the women at the empty tomb, are proven true: “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:5-6, New International Version).

Let’s not cling to religious traditions and ideas that aren’t supported by Scripture. Be sure that your own beliefs and practices are firmly rooted in the Bible. Are you willing to make a commitment to worship God according to biblical truth rather than human tradition?”  From: From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/good-friday-easter-sunday-it-doesnt-add-up  

Centuries-Old Documents Show Evidence for a Wednesday Crucifixion

“Did you know there is additional historical evidence for a Wednesday crucifixion? Although it was a minority position and ran against the prevailing teachings of the Roman church, some early historical documents acknowledge a Tuesday night Passover, a Wednesday crucifixion and a Saturday afternoon resurrection—matching the biblical record.

Around the year 200, a document purporting to pass on apostolic instruction, called the Didascalia Apostolorum, mentions that the last Passover of Jesus Christ and His disciples was on a Tuesday night.

This document states: “For when we had eaten the Passover on the third day of the week at even [Tuesday evening], we went forth to the Mount of Olives; and in the night they seized our Lord Jesus. And the next day, which was the fourth of the week [Wednesday], He remained in ward in the house of Caiaphas the high priest” (emphasis added throughout).

Paradoxically, the text goes on to mention that Jesus was crucified on a Friday—showing great confusion about the dates, for the biblical account clearly states that Christ was crucified in the daylight period following the night of that Passover meal and arrest. Nonetheless, the document demonstrates that Passover was then understood by some to have been on Tuesday evening, which would place the crucifixion on the next day, Wednesday.

By the fifth century, Easter Sunday celebrations were widespread. However, a church historian of the time named Socrates notes in a section of his history titled “Differences of Usage in Regard to Easter” that some Christians celebrated the resurrection on the Sabbath rather than on Sunday. As he put it, “Others in the East kept that feast on the Sabbath indeed.” 

So rather than a monolithic acceptance of the Good Friday–Easter Sunday scenario, there was confusion about the timing of Christ’s crucifixion in early centuries. Moreover, these historical records show that a minority of Christians during that time understood the biblical timing of a Tuesday evening Passover, a Wednesday crucifixion and a late Saturday afternoon resurrection.”  

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Did Jesus Christ Teach Easter?

The truth about Jesus' death and resurrection is very different from what most Christians believe.

Transcript From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/did-jesus-christ-teach-easter

[Darris McNeely] “Was Jesus Christ resurrected on Easter Sunday morning after having been killed on a Good Friday afternoon? The answer is no. Whatever you've learned, whatever you've been taught about that topic from your church and your religious studies does not match up with Scripture.

Let's read Matthew 12:40, and notice something here. Christ was challenged by some to give a sign as to who He was. He said, "An evil adulterous generation seeks after a sign. There's only going to be one sign that you will know that I am the Messiah. It's the same sign as Jonah." He said that, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Three days and three nights.

It's the only sign Jesus gave that He was the Messiah. Now when you look at the gospel accounts of the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ with all the Scriptures put together, it's very clear the week that Jesus died shows us a very different story than the one that you have been taught and may still believe.

Jesus Christ had a Passover meal with his disciples on the night before he was arrested and crucified. He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot at 9 a.m. the next morning, which was actually the 14th day of the month when the Passover's services were to be held. He was crucified. He died at 3 p.m.. And yet they put his body into the grave, according to Scripture, before sundown or right at sundown on that 14th day. So as that day was ending, dawning to what was called a Sabbath and in reality was a holy day, the first day of what is called the Days of Unleavened Bread, His body was in the tomb and remained there for one full day and one full night. The next day was a Friday, the 16th day of the Hebrew calendar. His body was still in the grave all day and again all night. That's two days and two nights. The third day was a weekly Sabbath, a Saturday, that week. Christ's body was in the grave through the night all that day. And then at the very end of the day, after three days and three nights in the grave is when Jesus Christ was resurrected. Not the next day on Sunday morning as the Easter tradition says.

So, we have one day, one night, two days and two nights, three days and three nights. It's all in the Scripture. It's all in the Bible. Check it out. Jesus was not resurrected on Easter Sunday. That's a tradition that was added later on. The truth opens up the true understanding of who Jesus Christ was, why he came, and what his life, death, and resurrection means. Check out your belief, and check it out with your Bible.”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/did-jesus-christ-teach-easter

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How to Reduce Cholesterol Oxidation

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-reduce-cholesterol-oxidation/

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

‘'Chicken, fish, and egg powder in processed foods present greater risk from cholesterol oxidation byproducts, but there are things you can do to reduce exposure.

A significant body of evidence indicates that oxidized cholesterol [may be] one of the main triggers of [Alzheimer’s disease].” But, that’s not all. Cholesterol oxidation products “are associated with the initiation and progression of [multiple] major chronic diseases,” including heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure. And, they’re produced when animal products are heated. All forms of cooking can do it, since you can get “maximum cholesterol oxidation” at only about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. But, is there some type of cooking that’s worse than others? Well, if you look at foal meat, which is like baby horse meat, higher levels of oxidation in general were found in microwaved meat.

And, indeed, microwaving chicken or beef appears to produce about twice as much cholesterol oxidation as frying. Whereas, if you look at bacon, raw bacon wasn’t found to have any oxidized cholesterol—it has cholesterol, like all animal products, but it’s not oxidized until you cook it. Grilling seems to be the safest the first time around, but then, when you put it back in the fridge and reheat it later using the same method, the oxidized cholesterol levels all shoot up.

It’s not just heat, though. Although levels in raw meats are usually low, “concentrations tend to increase dramatically after exposure to pro-oxidation agents, such as light.” What are you supposed to do, crawl inside the pig and eat the bacon from the inside? No, you could wrap the meat in red plastic wrap. Clear plastic wrap doesn’t seem to work, but the red blocks some of the light waves and can “delay…cholesterol oxidation.” This was for “horse meat slices.” The problem is worse with “sliced meat products,” because more of the meat is exposed to air and light. Same problem with ground meat; it’s just so much more exposed.

Unless you keep meat in some kind of vacuum pack, even in a dark refrigerator, the oxygen exposure alone can shoot up oxidation levels. Or, in the freezer. Yeah, cooking raw fish can boost levels from 8 to 18, but after a few months, frozen fish—even raw—starts out about ten times higher and just goes up from there.

And, in terms of which meat is the worst, microwaved or fried, chicken was twice as bad as beef. The reason, it seems, has to do with the “polyunsaturated fat…content of the muscle,” which goes fish, then poultry, then pork, then beef, then lamb. So, white meat is more susceptible to cholesterol oxidation. Yes, red meat has more saturated fat, but fish and chicken tend to build up more oxidized cholesterol. So, “chicken and roasted salmon…have been shown to generate greater amounts of [cholesterol oxidation products] than other [types of meat].” Surprisingly, though, “the highest increase of [oxidized cholesterol in salmon] was found through steaming—mainly just because it’s exposed to heat longer. Cholesterol oxidation “increased after each cooking procedure…[but] steaming increased the total amount by more than 1000%.”

There are two ways chicken meat may pull ahead, though. One is if you feed the chickens rancid fat in the first place. And, unfortunately, all sorts of substandard stuff ends up at the rendering plants to be turned into animal feed. And also irradiation. When chicken meat is irradiated to improve its food safety from an infectious disease standpoint, it may diminish food safety from a chronic disease standpoint. But, hey; it’s better than dying from salmonella.

In terms of dairy, in my last video, ( https://nutritionfacts.org/video/oxidized-cholesterol-as-a-cause-of-alzheimers-disease/) I talked about the potential dangers of ghee, which made me wonder about UHT milk, which stands for ultra-high temperature processing, to make little half-and-half no-refrigeration-needed coffee creamers. That does seem to boost oxidized cholesterol levels by about 50%—worse than just regular pasteurization, though, interestingly, if you can find goat milk half-and-half, that would be safer.

Same problem with eggs. Egg powder in processed foods is good for shelf life, but may not be so good for human life. So, that’s like packaged food with eggs in it, like pasta, many baked goods, mayonnaise. So, even people who stay away from egg eggs, may still be unwittingly exposed through processed foods, if they don’t read the label.

If it’s all about oxidation, why not just add “synthetic or natural antioxidants” to the animal products themselves? They’ve certainly tried; like, what about adding lemon balm tea to hamburger patties? It didn’t work, but that’s likely because they couldn’t add enough without affecting the taste. What about adding cherries—they’re red—they would blend right in. And, it worked! Two different types of tart cherries significantly reduced the cholesterol oxidation, but meat with a cherry on top seems a little out of place. How about just good old garlic and onions? Here’s the amount of oxidized cholesterol in a plain pork chop, significantly reduced by adding onion or garlic—though, interestingly, in chicken, cholesterol oxidation was helped by sage, but not garlic. In fact, garlic may even accelerate fat oxidation.

So, “there are several measures that can be taken to reduce cholesterol oxidation in foods: reducing the total cholesterol content [in food] by not cooking food with cholesterol-containing fat” [like butter or lard]; maybe we can “feed…animals…antioxidants before, or add them afterwards; use as low a temperature to cook as possible; use some kind of opaque vacuum packing, or something. But, if you take a step back, only foods that start out with cholesterol can end up with oxidized cholesterol. So, the primary method, in terms of reducing cholesterol oxidation in foods, may be to “reduce the total cholesterol content of the food”—not just by avoiding adding extra with butter, but instead, centering one’s diet around whole plant foods, which don’t have any cholesterol to get oxidized in the first place.”      From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-reduce-cholesterol-oxidation/

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Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You? Christ, Our Passover. Why Dairy Might Not Be The Best Choice for Your Health.

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Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?

“Jesus knew what He would face: “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified” (Matthew 26:2).

The spring festivals (found in Leviticus 23) have deep symbolism for Christians today that transcends the sacrificial laws that ended with Christ’s death. The Passover symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. The festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread symbolizes our need to live free of sin, after having our past sins forgiven.

Just before His betrayal and crucifixion, Jesus asked His disciples to prepare for His final Passover (Matthew 26:18-20). This evening, commemorated since the time of the Exodus from Egypt, involved the sacrifice of an unblemished lamb whose blood protected the Israelites while the firstborn of the Egyptians were slain (Exodus 12:5-7, 12-14).

The New Testament makes clear that this lamb represented Jesus Christ. As John the Baptist had announced about Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

This last Passover was special, and Jesus taught His disciples new elements that would become the basis of the New Testament Passover service.

First, Jesus Christ set the example of love and service through washing His disciples’ feet (John 13:4-13). Then He told them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).

The symbols of the bread and the wine

After the foot washing, Jesus instituted two deeply meaningful symbols of the New Testament Passover.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28).

Paul reminded the Church, both Jews and gentiles, of the vital importance of this memorial that represents Christ’s death and a renewal of our commitment to God made at baptism. Jesus said the bread represented His body. He willingly suffered to take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses (Matthew 8:16-17; Isaiah 53:3-5). Jesus is also the Bread that makes eternal life possible as we allow Him to live in us (Galatians 2:20).

The wine represents His shed blood given for the forgiveness of our sins.

The apostle Paul repeated these Passover instructions about the bread and the wine in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. He reminded the Church, both Jews and gentiles, of the vital importance of this memorial that represents Christ’s death and a renewal of our commitment to God made at baptism.

Why did Christ have to die? 

Why did Jesus come to the earth as a human being to die? Because of sin—the destructive thoughts and actions that go against God’s will (1 John 3:4).

God reveals His thinking and way of life throughout the Bible, and especially in His 10 Commandments and His good and beneficial laws that show us how He intends life to be lived. When we break His laws, we bring automatic penalties on ourselves, and especially the penalty of death—eternal death. We have all earned this penalty (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

God, in His perfect eternal justice, must exact the penalty; but in His awesome mercy, Jesus Christ was willing to pay that penalty for us! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Christ gave His life so we could repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

That is the solemn yet joyous message of the annual Passover. This is the first step in God’s plan of salvation. The second step is represented by the second festival, the Feast of Unleavened Bread.”                 

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/passover/

Do you have more questions about the Christian Passover? Read “Questions and Answers About the Christian Passover.”

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Christ, Our Passover

1 Corinthians 5:7

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.   

“The apostle Paul drew on the lessons of the spring festival season to encourage the Corinthian congregation to remove sin from their lives.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the type of the Passover lamb whose blood protected the Israelite firstborn from death before the exodus from Egypt. After the Passover festival comes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, where yeast and other leavening become a symbol of sin.”

Study more about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread in our free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.”

Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture at https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/christ-our-passover/?

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Is Dairy’s Reign Over? (Problems with Dairy and The Dairy Industry)

“Big Dairy is getting desperate. But the demand for plant-based milks keeps going up.  Dairy is declining, as the failure of Big Dairy’s latest campaign Februdairy shows. More people are becoming aware of the problems with dairy and the problems with the dairy industry. Could dairy’s prominence be on its way out?  

Almonds are the new cow. So are cashews. Coconuts. Beans and peas. And pretty much any plant-based ingredients that can be turned into frothy, creamy, and delicious plant-based milk. No cow required.

Consumers are flocking to nondairy milk like cows flock to hay. It’s looking an awful lot like the tide is turning to greener pastures (perhaps because they’re growing nitrogen-fixing peas).

Facing declining sales and waning consumer interest, the dairy industry launched “Februdairy” — a month-long campaign aimed at revitalizing dairy’s increasingly sour image.

This initiative is a response to the growing trend toward plant-based milks and campaigns encouraging plant-based eating, including the popular UK-based Veganuary campaign, which encourages people to try going vegan for January and the rest of the year. In 2018, more than 150,000 people signed up, compared to only several hundred people when it launched in 2014.

This massive rise in plant-powered eating is happening around the world. For example, from 2014 to 2017, there’s been a 600% increase in the number of people identifying as vegans in the U.S.

At a recent dairy industry conference, industry consultant Dr. Jude Capper sounded the alarm, announcing that, “If consumers don’t buy our products — milk, cream, butter, cheese etc — we will not have a dairy industry in five to 10 years.”

The Problems With The Dairy Industry — Cruelty to Cows 

The Februdairy campaign’s goal is to continue painting an idealized (and inaccurate) picture of modern dairy farming pushed by the industrial agriculture industry. The campaign intends to feature photos of “happy” cows and other bucolic farm imagery.

But the truth is vastly different. In reality, tens of thousands of animals are living inside giant steel sheds with little or no access to the outdoors.

Once a staple in most homes, the reality today is that cow’s milk comes with a whole host of problems. Cows are, of course, as adorable and lovable as ever. But with the hundreds of millions of them on the planet… well, things get a little complicated.

While a small percentage of modern farms produce milk from cows who are left outside to graze on fresh grass and clover, and perhaps to ponder the logistics and benefits of jumping over the moon, the majority aren’t afforded such luxuries.

In the vast majority of dairy operations in the U.S., the truth is, cows do not have happy lives. They spend their time indoors, typically on hard, abrasive concrete floors and frequently connected to a milking apparatus. Most never see a blade of grass.

iStock.com/Toa55

They are artificially impregnated to ensure they continue to produce the maximal quantity of milk. Plus, they are fed antibiotics. And their feed is often contaminated with herbicide and pesticide residues from the genetically modified beans and grains they eat. Some are injected with genetically engineered growth hormones.

Recently, the dairy industry has been called out for its cruel treatment of these gentle animals. Even the #metoo campaign has been used to expose the cruel treatment of dairy cows.

A dairy cow will spend much of her life hooked up to milking machines that limit movement and can cause painful infections in her udder. Her babies are taken away just days after being born so that the milk can be bottled and sold.

Other Problems With The Dairy Industry

The dairy industry is also directly tethered to the notoriously cruel veal industry. Female calves become dairy producers, and male calves are often sent into confinement to be raised for veal meat.

And then there’s dairy’s impact on the planet.

Livestock is responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gases. The United Nations puts the industry 14.5% of all GHG emissions — slightly more than transportation, which produces about 14% of total GHGs worldwide.

In California, the largest dairy-producing state, water usage for livestock is also of concern. One-quarter of California’s water budget goes toward producing beef and dairy. This is more water than all the businesses and homes in the state.

But the dairy industry does its best to keep all this from consumers. Clever marketing (“Got Milk?”), the prevalence of red barn imagery and toothy cow smiles on dairy labels, and other tactics have long convinced consumers this stuff is healthy and even necessary.

But with U.S. milk consumption down considerably, the dairy industry’s days as a dominant food industry force may be numbered. In fact, numbers from the USDA show that Americans are drinking almost 40% less dairy milk than they did in the 1970s.

The Demand for Plant-Based Milk Is Booming

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As it turns out, people want more options than just whole, 2%, or skim milk. They want new flavors — and not just chocolate. They want milk varieties that are reinvigorating their taste buds. And they want plants.

Non-dairy milk is the leading driver of the plant-based foods category, growing more than 60% in the last five years to more than $2 billion in sales in 2017.

Sales of dairy are expected to drop by another 11% between 2015 and 2020, as a steady decline continues. On the other hand, nondairy milk sales are expected to continue seeing record-breaking and milk-shaking increases. Dean Foods, a leading dairy producer, experienced a 91% decline in its net income from 2016 to 2017.

Elmhurst Dairy was once a thriving dairy producer, but declining interest and lackluster sales led the company to reinvent itself. Now known as just Elmhurst, the company has dropped cow’s milk for a booming plant-based milk business.

The company is a leading producer of non-dairy nut-milk products, including milk made from almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts.

Why Dairy Might Not Be The Best Choice for Your Health

The dairy industry has spent millions of dollars touting milk as “nature’s most perfect food.” And it is. For baby calves. But what about for humans?

We are the only species on earth that drinks milk after infancy. And in all the years that humans have been around, we’ve only been drinking the milk of cows for the last few thousand — a minimal portion of our time on this planet.

Dairy milk does have all the nutrition calves need to grow. As a result, it’s full of many important nutrients, and it provides an abundant source of calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin (B2), vitamin B12, potassium, and phosphorus. But since modern milk almost always comes from recently pregnant cows, it also contains hormones that don’t do a human body any “good” at all.

These hormones are thought to be one of the reasons that dairy consumption has been found to be linked to increased rates of acne, and to increased risk of certain cancers — especially prostate cancer.

Many studies have explored the link between dairy products and heart disease. Perhaps the largest of them, conducted by Harvard Chan School researchers and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016, reported on research done with 43,000 men and 187,000 women.

When calories from full-fat dairy products were replaced with carbohydrates from whole grains, the risk of heart disease dropped by 28%. Replacing dairy products with red meat, on the other hand, led to a 6% increase in heart disease risk.

Does Dairy=Strong Bones?

So what about the belief that milk is necessary for strong bones and the prevention of osteoporosis? Not true.

Clinical research shows that dairy milk has little or no benefit for our bones. For example, the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which followed more than 72,000 women for 18 years, showed no protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk.

Most People In The World Can’t Digest Dairy

Another major problem with dairy consumption is lactose intolerance. As infants, our bodies produce a digestive enzyme called lactase, which breaks down lactose from mother’s milk. But as we grow up, many of us lose the ability to do that.

By adulthood, about three-quarters of the world’s population is unable to break down lactose, and there’s a strong racial dimension to lactose intolerance. The only ethnic group on the planet that can usually digest lactose is Caucasians. Most people of African, Asian, Arab, and Indigenous ancestry cannot.

As Caucasian-centric movies, corporations, and even government policies have promoted dairy product consumption around the world, they’ve unintentionally subjected billions of people to significant digestive problems. Lactose intolerance can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

More Doctors Are Talking About The Problems with Dairy

Increasing numbers of doctors and researchers are now recommending against dairy consumption. Author and nutritional authority Michael Klaper, MD, said to FRN:

“If there was one substance I could eliminate from the American diet immediately, it would be those substances made from the secretions from the udder of a cow: dairy products.”

Plus, according to 10-time New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mark Hyman, dairy consumption is strongly linked to digestive issues and may even be connected to an increased risk of some types of cancer — including prostate cancer and breast cancer.

“Our bodies just weren’t made to digest milk on a regular basis,” Dr. Hyman explains. “Instead, most scientists agree that it’s better for us to get calcium, potassium, protein, and fats from other food sources, like whole plant foods — vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and seaweed.”

Neal Barnard, MD, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, wrote:

“Dairy products are packed with fat and cholesterol and may increase the risk of health problems ranging from asthma to some types of cancer. An elevated risk of prostate cancer incidence and mortality has been associated with dairy consumption and the same may be true for ovarian cancer.”

So overall, it seems that for many people, moving away from dairy milk may be a positive step.

Plant-Based Milk Offers Health Benefits — Without The Cruelty

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More at: https://foodrevolution.org/blog/problems-with-dairy/

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